These past few weeks, I've really embraced the no plan plan. I've been running a tiny bit (e.g., 15km/week), but have definitely dabbled in other things. I'll be running the Ottawa Marathon in May (!!!), which means I will begin marathon training the first weekend of January. Until then, I'm focusing on building strength, maintaining endurance and giving myself a break - if I'm feeling 8km vs. 12km, 8km it is.

Besides running, I've gone back to the gym and have started Jamie Eason's Live Fit Trainer and spin classes. I do best with a plan; Live Fit gives me a good structure to get back into strength training and spin classes are easily accessible after work.

Cross training has really woken up some muscle groups. While I like the soreness (because it makes me feel like I'm making progress), it does makes me realize how much work I have to do. In training for the Hamilton Marathon, I did minimal cross-training. I will be making strength and cross-training more of a priority in the lead up to Ottawa.

I've also been taking some time to relax. For me this means staying up later and being less concerned with what I'm eating and drinking. This past weekend, for example, we went to Montreal to visit my sister and brother-in-law. It was such a great weekend! We enjoyed some fun restaurants and did some touring around. It's been a while since I've been to MTL; I was reminded how lovely a city it is.